Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with reducing the level of impurities in oils and improving oil recovery and reclamation.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,128,827, issued to Gallo, et al., teaches a modular oil-based sludge separation and treatment system. Briefly, this patent discloses a method of recovering oil from oil-based sludge including the steps of homogenizing an oil-rich phase, a water-rich phase, and a solids-rich phase of an oil-based sludge, removing particulates from the oil-based sludge as the sludge traverses a shaker screen, heating the sludge, injecting a chemical into the heated sludge and mixing the chemical with the heated sludge, separating the phases of the chemically-treated sludge into a solids component stream, a water component stream, a first oil component stream, and a gas component stream, removing solids from the first oil component stream with a decanting centrifuge to form a second oil component stream, and removing water and solids from the second oil component stream with a disk stack centrifuge.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,186,344, issued to Hughes is directed to a membrane-based fluid treatment system. Briefly, this patent teaches a process for removing soluble and insoluble inorganic, organic, and microbiological contaminants from a fluid stream employing a pretreatment module, a post-treatment module, a recycle stream module or any combination thereof, and a membrane module. The process reduces the problems associated with membrane fouling and increases contaminant removal capacity.
United States Patent Application No. 2010/0173806, filed by Fan, et al., is directed to the extraction of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon-containing materials and includes a method of extracting hydrocarbon-containing organic matter from a hydrocarbon-containing material includes the steps of providing a first liquid comprising a turpentine liquid; contacting the hydrocarbon-containing material with the turpentine liquid to form an extraction mixture; extracting the hydrocarbon material into the turpentine liquid; and separating the extracted hydrocarbon material from a residual material not extracted.
United States Patent Application No. 2005/0098504 filed by Manz, et al., is directed to an oil and gas well fracturing (frac) water treatment process. Briefly, a novel process for treating and removing undesirable impurities from oil and gas well fracturing fluid is disclosed. For example, a method for treating fracturing water is taught comprising: (a) passing contaminated fracturing water containing solids and liquid through a mechanical separator to remove solids from the liquid; (b) treating the fracturing water liquid with an alkaline agent to increase the pH of the liquid to a level of above 9; (c) adding a coagulant to the fracturing water to form an agglomerate and separating the agglomerate from the fracturing water; (d) reducing the pH of the fracturing water of step (c) to a level of less than about 5.5; and (e) adding an oxidizing agent to the fracturing water of step (d) to oxidize oxidizable impurities in the fracturing water.